Greek Stuffed Eggplants (Aubergines)

You might already know that eggplants or aubergines are one of those vegetables that we use a lot in mediterranean cuisine. You can find them in famous Greek recipes like moussaka or as a tapas, simply cut into slices and deep fried. One traditional Greek dish that has eggplants as a key ingredient is baked stuffed eggplants with a tomato rich onion filling. This dish belongs to politiki cuisine, comes from Constantinople and has turkish roots but it’s enjoyed by Greeks in all corners of the country.

Why you should try my recipe

• A hearty dish, full of flavor and aromas.
• A vegetarian and Keto friendly dish.
• Stores well in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Ingredients & How-to

The main ingredients for the baked stuffed eggplants are eggplants(aubergines), onions, garlic, parsley, chopped tomatoes, feta cheese, olive oil, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

I’m using large, long eggplants that I cut in half. If your eggplants are smaller then the recipe can also work, but in this case you might need to just cut them in the middle and stuff them rather than cutting them in half.

01. I start with preparing the eggplants. I give them a good wash, then remove the stem and cut each one in half. Using a teaspoon, I carefully remove the eggplant flesh, leaving around 1.5cm / 0.5’’ on the sides. I keep the flesh on the side as I’m going to use it inside the sauce. The eggplants are very sensitive and they can get brown after you cut them. To prevent browning, I cut a lemon in half and brush the white inside the eggplant.

02. When all eggplants are cut and the flesh is out, I chop the flesh into small chunks. Then, I add all the flesh chunks into a bowl with water and lemon and leave it aside to be added later on in the filling.

03. Now that the eggplants are ready, I’m moving to the rest of the vegetables. The main filling for the stuffed eggplants is onions cooked in tomato sauce. To fill in 3 eggplants, I’m using one big onion or 2 medium ones. It’s better if you have some leftover filling rather than under stuffing the eggplants in the end. I cut the onion into slices as you want to actually taste the onion on each bite.

Another key ingredient here is the garlic. Garlic goes very well with eggplants and tomato based recipes. I’m using 4-5 garlic cloves that I just chop into smaller bits. Don’t be afraid of using too much garlic as it really gives a nice kick to the onion filling.

04. Now, it’s time to move to the cooktop. In a medium pot, I add 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil and turn on the heat to medium. I add the onion slices and sauté for 4-5 minutes until they are soft and translucent. Then I drain the eggplant flesh that has been sitting in the lemony water and add it to the pot along with the garlic cloves.

05. Finally, I add the chopped tomatoes to the pot, one bay leaf and season with salt & ground pepper. I add about a cup of water, cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes. As for the tomatoes, I’m using chopped canned tomatoes but you can also use fresh ones, especially in the summer when the tomatoes are in season. If you decide to use fresh ones then I recommend cutting them into cubes and then reducing the amount of water you add to the pot into half as fresh tomatoes are more watery than canned ones.

06. When the filling is ready, I remove the bay leaf and add the chopped parsley in. I give it a stir and move into filling the eggplants. I place all the eggplants in a ovenproof dish or tray and start filling them till the top. If you have any leftover onion filling in the end then you could just put it in the tray between the eggplants.

07. I drizzle the eggplants with some more olive oil on top and now it’s time for the feta cheese. I’m using a block of feta cheese, that’s around 200gr or 7oz. Using my fingers, I crumble the feta cheese on top of each eggplant to evenly distribute it. If you don’t like feta cheese, then you could use some hard goats cheese instead or some manchego or padano cut into cubes.

As the feta cheese can easily get burnt in the oven, I cover the tray with some kitchen foil and bake for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes to get a nice brown color on that feta cheese. The eggplants will release some water and the foil helps to keep the steam in, so there is no need to add any extra water to the tray. The eggplants will be cooked in all their juices and when you take them out they will be perfect and soft.

Serving suggestions

Serve the stuffed eggplants while they are still warm with some chopped parsley on top. We usually have them as a main with a slice of bread on the side and a salad.

For a vegan version of stuffed eggplants, all you need is to leave out the feta cheese or replace it with a vegan cheese of your choice.

Storage

If you have any leftover stuffed eggplants, I recommend storing them in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are also freezable for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm up in the oven for 10 minutes at 180°C/350°F before serving.

FAQ

• What type of tomatoes can I use for the stuffed eggplants filling? For the filling of the stuffed eggplants, I’m using canned chopped tomatoes but you can also use fresh tomatoes, especially if they are in season and are nice and juicy. You could also use passata instead of chopped tomatoes, just reduce the amount from a cup to ¾ of a cup.

• How can I make the stuffed eggplants vegan? To make the Greek stuffed eggplants vegan, simply leave out the feta cheese completely or you could replace it with a vegan cheese of your choice.

• What type of cheese can I use instead of feta cheese? If you are not a fan of feta cheese and find it tastes too strong, then you could replace it with some graviera, manchego or padano cheese cut into small cubes.